Handrails are used in a variety of environments both indoors and outdoors, for example, architectural structures such as buildings, theatres, arenas, stores, decks, docks, piers, parking lots, showers, bathtubs, vehicles including automobiles, trucks, boats, tractors, airplanes and trains, and furniture such as hospital or nursing home beds, deck posts and sign posts to name a few.
Handrails are rail or bar structures that are typically designed to be grasped by the hand for support. Handrails may be used to assist in maneuvering, for example, to travel on a stairway, ramp way, hallway, and escalator, or to assist in getting into and out of an environment, such as a vehicle. Handrails may also be used as a guard or barrier, such as on a balcony, landing, or hospital bed.
Many environments exist where various poor lighting scenarios occur, for example, dimmed lighting or darkness due to a power failure or smoke resultant from a fire. Risks may occur when people attempt to navigate in poorly lit environments; such risks include physical injury, lack of orientation, lack of information regarding navigation and lack of familiarity with the environment.
To mitigate these risks, illuminated handrail devices exist, but these prior art devices are deficient in several respects. First, prior art illuminated handrail devices are manufactured to a specific length. Second, prior art devices include numerous components as well as require an electrical power source. Third, prior art devices involve multiple steps for manufacture, which is costly and time consuming.
Examples of prior art devices that require an electrical power source to power a light bulb include U.S. Pat. No. 6,425,676, U.S. Pat. No. 6,415,732, U.S. Pat. No. 5,504,342, U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,299, U.S. Pat. No. 5,099,402, U.S. Pat. No. 4,161,769, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,515,393.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,866,125 describes an illumination system for escalator handrails with a plurality of charging stations to provide electromagnetic power to charging circuits. The power transferred between the charging circuit and charging station is sufficient to charge a power source that powers a light source. U.S. Pat. No. 7,226,191 describes a lighted handgrip assembly that includes an electrical circuit that illuminates a lighting assembly within a gripping member.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,909 describes a passive pathway marking system with a base member, support member and a photo luminescent material. The base member attaches to a building structure, the support member attaches to the base member and the photo luminescent material, preferably in two stripes, is affixed to the support member.
While these devices fulfill their respective particular objectives and requirements, the need still remains for an improved safety handrail apparatus and manufacturing methods that fulfills the deficiencies of these prior art devices. The present invention satisfies this need.